Local angler Brad Golub teamed up with visiting angler Vince Williams from Maryland to fish with me this past week with a day in the 'Glades and last night in Biscayne Bay. We had pretty good action - as usual the pics will tell the story... Last week it was Everglades City, this week Flamingo.

We were fishing on Brad's Redfisher that he's busy sorting out and learning the backcountry with so it was a chance for me to fish in a very nice boat.... Brad used spinning gear while Vince stuck with the fly. Each type of gear had their strong points... Here's a nice trout by Brad (we were in them so well that most hookups were doubles...until we wore them out).
[img][IMG]http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee111/lemaymiami/fishpics/4815e214.jpg
That jighead and Gulp tail was all that Brad used that day and everything ate it...

Brad went on to get bites everywhere we went on light spinning gear and that same small lure. Here's his best redfish of the day...
[img][IMG]http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee111/lemaymiami/fishpics/960dd6b9.jpg

Not to be outdone Vince proceeded to catch and release a great variety as well along with lots of trout - all on the Whitewater Bay Clouser... Here's a few pics...
[img][IMG]http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee111/lemaymiami/fishpics/849b6343.jpg
[img][IMG]http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee111/lemaymiami/fishpics/849b6343.jpg
the bluefish weighed in right at 4lbs, Pretty good sized for the middle of Whitewater... the fish looked starved- it was long and lean. With a bit of feeding the next angler will have a fish that weighs a good two pounds more...

He also hooked up on a gag grouper in less than three feet of water... that fish instantly dragged him back under a downed tree and he did a great job in working it back out of there (that particular leader took a beating....).
[img][IMG]http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee111/lemaymiami/fishpics/6318b861.jpg
[img][IMG]http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee111/lemaymiami/fishpics/42ab5240.jpg
The highlight of the day was when Brad hooked up a tarpon we estimated at 60lbs on that same small jig... He got four jumps out of the fish before it pulled free.... I was too busy to even think about reaching for my camera...

After a day's break we worked up a night trip (last night) using my old Maverick (fishing around bridges at night is not the place to be with a shiny new skiff....). We hit the water just before the tide began to fall and at first it was spot after spot with no tarpon... We finally found them loaded up under one the many bridges that run between Miami and Miami Beach. Vince didn't have long to wait before hooking up on his first tarpon on fly.... It was the perfect small fish (we estimated it at 20 to 25lbs) and just attacked the fly. Vince did everything right and about 15 minutes later I had the fish leadered at the boat. With a quick head shake the fish released itself so the only photo I got was Vince doing everything right....
[img][IMG]http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee111/lemaymiami/fishpics/004cb956.jpg

At the next bridge we went to it was finally Brad's turn for a solid hookup (two fish had already taken him to school, breaking off on the first piling they could reach...). That fourth fish actually tried to jump into our skiff on its second jump, soaking Brad and me in the bow... As hot as that fish was it was almost 30 minutes before it gave up at the boat. Here's a pic or two...
[img][IMG]http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee111/lemaymiami/fishpics/de525bd4.jpg
[img][IMG]http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee111/lemaymiami/fishpics/275b3e09.jpg
At an estimated 30lbs that fish was a great catch on light gear (10lb spin).

Day or night, the fishing is very good now. If it stays mild I expect that it will just get better. The big tarpon are up inside Whitewater and Oyster Bays now, all that's needed is the wind to lay down a bit and some good sunny weather to be able to see them properly. Lots of shrimp running at night now locally in Biscayne Bay.. One bridge we went to last night had hundreds of gulls and terns picking shrimp right off the surface in the bridge lights nearing midnight - and we had the bridge all to ourselves...

jumboshrimp

02-07-2012, 06:53 PM

Wow looks like a great day/night a shallow water grouper on a fly, that would be a ton of fun. good work :thumbsup

Shadowcast

02-08-2012, 09:51 AM

Great report as always Bob!

SUPER D

02-08-2012, 01:06 PM

That is one fine Trout, that Grouper looks tasty. Great report, thanks